


Tales from the Archipelago

by Star_Going_Supernova



Series: Wild Child AU [2]
Category: Godzilla: King of The Monsters (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hallucinations, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29499975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Going_Supernova/pseuds/Star_Going_Supernova
Summary: A lot can happen in five years. These are individual extra scenes that didn’t make it intoWhere the Wild Things Are,for one reason or another.Chapter 1: Into the Mist — Maddie returns to Dead Valley
Relationships: Godzilla (Legendary | MonsterVerse) & Madison Russell
Series: Wild Child AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166906
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32





	Tales from the Archipelago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve made good on my promise to show y’all what Maddie’s intentional second visit to Dead Valley was like. This takes place between Chapter 26 and Chapter 27 of WTWTA. 
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy!

Maddie stood in the sand, her toes just inches away from the boundary of Dead Valley. She fiddled with the makeshift cloth mask hanging around her neck, ready to be pulled up over her mouth and nose.

_Are you nervous?_ Godzilla asked from behind her.

“A little,” she admitted. “What if—what if it’s not even my brother anymore? What if I’m doing this for nothing?”

_You’ll always wonder if you don’t find out for yourself,_ he said knowingly. _I don’t like the risk by any means, but…_

But they’d gone back and forth for ages about it, and they were taking precautions, and she’d be a single step or two away from safety, and she couldn’t be farther from the hungry thing at the other end of the valley. And they both knew that if he didn’t let her do it now, with his supervision, she’d do it without him. He certainly created enough opportunities with how often he left the archipelago.

Maddie nodded decisively. “I’m ready.” She lifted the mask to cover her lower face and adjusted the vine tied around her waist—a literal safety line.

Godzilla had refused to even entertain the idea without a method to quickly pull her away. The other end, tied around a tree branch to make it easy for him to grab, sat in the sand by his mouth. Only a small amount of slack stretched between her and it.

“Worrywart,” she muttered. He huffed at her back, but their familiar, fond teasing went no further, since she stepped forward into the mist.

She moved a little deeper, until the vine kept her from advancing. Satisfied with her safety measures, Maddie looked around as she waited.

There was no way for them to know exactly when she’d lost consciousness during her first venture in. Whether Not-Andrew had been a hallucination or a dream, she would probably only find out today.

For as magical as she liked to joke the archipelago was, Dead Valley was on another level. Looking in from outside its bounds, the fog didn’t look too thick, and as gloomy as the land appeared, the sun still shone on the ground. From _inside,_ however, she may as well have been standing in an isolated field, surrounded by the thickest of mists, with the sun completely obscured above her.

It was like another world. Despite being mere feet from the beach where Godzilla waited, she couldn’t see or hear him. She couldn’t see or hear _anything_. She slowly spun, trying to spot something beyond the valley.

She’d forgotten how creepy it was—or maybe she hadn’t fully noticed back then. Reaching down to her belt, where the purple stone hung securely, she rubbed her thumb over its surface for comfort. Perhaps she’d been too busy playing with the monsters in the mist to pay attention.

There was a vague memory of a forced calm that had come over her in the valley, broken only by the untruth of Not-Andrew’s appearance. Either it didn’t work now because she was expecting it, or her mask was helping as she’d hoped.

“You came back.”

Maddie turned around, somehow still surprised to hear his voice, even though it was the very reason she was there. Only the vine at her waist, trailing off into thin air, kept her from losing her bearings.

“Why?” Not-Andrew asked. “You understand how dangerous it is here now.”

He hadn’t changed at all. Still only twelve years old, even after two and a half years since their first meeting. She was nine now, and taller.

“I was curious,” she told him.

“About getting eaten?” he snarked, just like the real Andrew would’ve. It hurt, the accuracy. But then, he’d said he’d been formed from her memory, right?

“To see if you’d come back, mostly.”

He frowned, inching closer. “I’m not your real brother, Maddie. I’m just supposed to be like him.”

“I know,” she whispered, sitting down. He followed her lead, crossing his legs in front of her to mirror her pose. “But I’m forgetting more and more, and—” She took in his face, his messy hair, the way he cocked his head and sort of pressed his lips together funny, intent on listening to her. “I didn’t want to forget what you—the real Andrew—looked like.” She shrugged and picked at the pebbles on the ground. “It’s not like I have pictures.”

Not-Andrew nodded slowly. “I suppose I understand that.” He gestured at the vine around her waist with a crooked grin. “And it looks like you’re being careful, at least.”

She twisted around to glance at the empty space where the vine ended. “G’s out there, ready to pull me out if anything happens.” Maddie looked back at Not-Andrew. “Am I still awake?”

“Yes. But—you’re not sure?”

“Last time, I don’t remember falling asleep, but I definitely remember feeling the vine on my leg even though nothing was there.”

“Oh. Yeah, you were unconscious by then.” He coughed, looking away. “Makes for easier prey if they can’t fight back.” Brightening up, Not-Andrew reassured her, “You’ll probably feel it this time, if you start to lose consciousness. Awareness does that to you.”

“Good to know.” She hesitated. “I was able to touch you last time. Was that just the dream part?”

He wiggled his hand in a so-so motion. “As a hallucination, you’ll think I’m solid regardless. Your brain will fill in the blanks to make you believe you’re actually touching me.” Chuckling, he added, “Don’t try to lean all your weight on me, because there’s only so far it can trick you.”

Maddie snorted. “What, you mean to tell me my hallucinations can’t support my weight? What good are you, then?”

Not-Andrew rolled his eyes. “Was there a reason you asked?”

“Uh.” She fiddled with the hem of her shorts. The ends were growing a little ragged from the abuse she put them through day-in and day-out. “Promise not to laugh?”

He wordlessly held his pinky up. It felt real as anything when she wrapped her own around it.

“Just kinda wanted a hug,” she muttered. “It’s been a while, and I was missing them the other day.”

Despite that he was a hallucination taken straight from her own brain, Maddie didn’t know how to read the emotion on his face in response. “Of course, Maddie,” he said softly. “I’d be happy to give you a hug.”

She smiled at him as he scooted over to her side to pull her in. Despite his words, and the pinky promise, some part of her had still wondered whether an imaginary hug would even work right. But he was warm and solid beneath her arms, and he smelled a bit like dirt and rain, and there was a pulse in his neck when she tucked her head against his shoulder, careful not to break the illusion by leaning too hard against him.

Godzilla must think she looked ridiculous, hugging thin air. She couldn’t have cared less.

• • • 

It was terrifying. Seeing the blank stare in her eyes when she looked around but saw nothing, when she looked right at him by all accounts but couldn’t have seemed more like she was staring straight through him. Hearing her half of a clear, coherent conversation with the hallucination of her dead brother. Watching the way she interacted so convincingly with something that didn’t truly exist, her movements directed as if influenced by an outside source.

Godzilla had seen a lot in his long life, but he was hard-pressed to think of something that unnerved him as much as this. He wanted so badly to grab the tree trunk and pull his Pup out by the vine, and he nearly trembled with the effort to suppress the urge.

She wanted to do this, and he could see clearly that she wasn’t yet in danger. As much as it near-physically pained him, he had to allow this.

He doubted she’d refrain from going alone if he tried to refuse her this chance. This wasn’t the same as the volcano. Dead Valley, and the dead brother it contained, would never be a joke. That she hadn’t simply charged in without bringing it up was nothing short of a miracle.

Wanting it to be over, but knowing he couldn’t end it before she was either ready or at risk, Godzilla tried to occupy his mind with happier memories—without distracting himself from keeping a careful eye on his Pup, of course.

Giving her as much privacy as he was able, he searched the valley floor for any creeping vines coming to claim their prey. Nothing yet.

Sometime later, when Maddie looked to be crying a little and he was about ready to pull her out from the agony of seeing her upset, Godzilla was almost relieved to finally see the creature’s slow approach. He tugged at the tree to give her a moment to say goodbye, and was glad when she stood up shortly after and followed the vine out of Dead Valley and back onto the beach.

Squinting at the return of the bright sunlight, she tugged the mask down to her neck and wiggled free of the tether.

_Are you all right?_ he asked urgently.

Maddie took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Yeah,” she said, “More or less. I needed to do that.”

He shifted invitingly, and as always, she was quick to tuck herself into the crook his neck, near the base of his jaw. Godzilla let her have a moment before asking the question he dreaded down to the depths of his heart, _Will you do it again?_

It took a minute for her to answer, and he suspected she was staring at Dead Valley, empty and dark as it always was.

“No,” Maddie finally answered. “I don’t think so. I—” She laughed weakly. “It hurt. It was Andrew, but it also wasn’t Andrew. And that… I dunno how to explain it. It was like he was a ghost or something.”

It pained him to say, _If you ever change your mind…_

She huddled closer to him. “Thanks for the offer, G. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think I’ll ever take it.”

It certainly did make him feel better. But rather than say so, he rumbled comfortingly and suggested, since the day was still young and ripe with potential, _We could go visit the wolves, if you’d like._

He felt her nod. “Yes, please.” She scrambled up. “Let me get my spear!”

_Don’t run with it!_ he called after her as she scampered off.

Godzilla sent one last look at Dead Valley before he pushed off into the Cove. With any luck, it would stay empty, and Maddie really wouldn’t ever need to venture back inside. He’d set the whole strip ablaze if he could, but it hadn't ever worked in the past, and he doubted it would now. Turning his back to the dead land, he slipped into the pleasantly cool water to wait for his Pup.

There were other adventures to be had, and none of them included ghosts from the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always did want to do more with Not-Andrew. I'm glad I was finally able to bring him back. 
> 
> You guys are the actual best! Love y'all! ❤️
> 
> • [my tumblr](https://star-going-supernova.tumblr.com) •


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